Htaere had not
expected the events to unfold as they
had when she unwittingly procured
comestibles for a hungry child. On a
casual stroll, her illustrious wardrobe
concealed by a long dark hooded cloak,
her eyes caught a small child being
scolded for taking a piece of fruit from
a street peddler, she thought nothing of
liberating the fruit herself and handing
it off to the youngster. After settling
with the peddler, Htaere continued about
her business before the child
reappeared, this time with a handful of
other children in tow of varying ages.
It was earth-shattering to take in their
filthy appearances, most were wearing
what would not even pass for cleaning
rags, barefoot, faces and flesh hidden
under weeks worth of dirty and a rampant
collection of open sores visible on any
number of them. Some were human, some
were not, yet all shared the same
lackluster appearance, their faces
solemn and pleading, their voices
silent. Somehow, Htaere's good deed had
spread through the ranks of the less
fortunate like a wildfire through dry
underbrush, and the numbers of hungry
beings were growing. Much pleading on
Htaere's part had convinced a local
restaurant owner to provide at the very
least hot soup, and with the promise of
generous compensation, he agreed, even
going so far as to provide hot meals for
the crowd of blank-faced beggars that
had collected on the street outside of
his shop windows. With the
medium-capacity credit chit she was
carrying, Htaere put in a rather urgent
call to the Warspite in search of
Claudius, requesting he come as soon as
time permitted and she made special note
to request he bring several credit chits
with hefty balances. In the meantime,
Htaere moved in and out of the horde of
squatters, passing out whatever the
restaurant owner conjured up for them,
refilling glasses and trying to keep a
mental hold on the staggering reality of
people who were not provided for. The
very first child she'd aided with the
simple piece of fruit remained close by,
simply fixing her with dark eyes and
tugging at the immaculate folds of
luxurious fabric of her skirt with dirty
hands when he wanted to be picked up.
What few stormtroopers had accompanied
her were standing by, maintaining
constant vigil on such a potentially
precarious situation, occasionally
helping out if need be. With a full
plate in front of each desperate being,
Htaere took a seat at one of several
chairs the restaurant staff had placed
around an outside table used as a buffet
of sorts. The dark eyed little boy was
alongside her as usual, and speaking to
her without so much as a facial quiver.
She regarded him compassionately and
hefted him onto her lap, reaching for
her comm unit again in desperate search
for reinforcements to aide her
humanitarian project.

Major Kerrie Kiley's
right hand tensed around the grip of her
E-11 blaster rifle as she stared at the
swarming crowd of onlookers. She
swallowed nervously, remembering the
last time she and Htaere had been in a
situation like this on Brentaal. Her
eyes moved like a wild animal across the
huddled masses ... any one of them could
be a Rebel or an opportunist looking to
make a move against Lady Htaere. She
could not help but sneer at some of the
pathetic souls arrayed before them. Her
gaze shifted focus momentarily is she
noticed the arrival of several Imperial
Stormtroopers. She had learned her
lesson from last time and immediately
activated her panic button when the
crowd swarmed. She nodded casually to
them to indicate everything was alright
... for now. The Stormtroopers
maintained their distance and surveyed
the crowd and the Major's focus shifted
to the area directly around Htaere.

Studying each of
their forlorn faces, Htaere tried to
imagine the individual predicaments that
had landed them where they were,
reducing them to the lot of homeless
scavengers. Probably her first real
exposure to the destitute, Htaere was
visibly moved by the experience,
watching the forty-something head of
underprivileged with an almost sad
resolve. All of them were hunched
protectively over their plates, most of
them practically inhaling the food
before them. Malnutrition and
environmental abuse had eroded their
appearances significantly. As a group
they were unnaturally thin, eyes dull,
faces listless and devoid of hope. Most
of them said nothing, ignorant as to how
to behave in the face of benevolence as
the majority were hassled on a daily
basis. The little boy on Htaere's lap
ate a wheat bread roll, watching her
escorts with cautious skepticism.

A large commotion
was heard as dozen of footfalls were
heard in the distance, but grew steadily
louder. An entire squad of Imperial
Stormtroopers had now arrived on scene
and lined up in front of the crowd. The
two Stormtroopers in the center of the
formation stepped aside and a moment
later Admiral Claudius Rodney emerged
from between them in dramatic fashion.
He paused for a moment and looked over
the crowd, not sure what to make of it.
His eyes shifted over towards Htaere and
Major Kiley and he hurried towards
them, two Stormtroopers pushing their
way through the crowd to enable him to
reach his destination with casual orders
of, "make way." When finally he arrived
near Htaere his gaze locked on Kerrie
with disapproval before refocusing on
his fiance. "What's this, then?" he
asked her calmly.

From her spot
where she sat, Htaere lifted the child
off her lap and got to her feet, placing
him back down along side her. The dark
haired child shifted behind her, having
paused his meal to peer steadily around
the side of her skirt, the bottomless
depths of his dark eyes locked onto
Claudius intensely. Htaere on the other
hand took on a relieved expression, a
tired and grateful smile appearing. "I
am glad you have come. I did not bring
enough with me. . ." she began,
motioning to the crowd of people seated
along the street and sidewalks. "These
people are hungry" she said simply, as
if that justified everything, which in
her mind, it did.

"Ah, yes,"
Claudius said, "You did mention
something about needing credits." He
nonchalantly flicked his finger in the
direction of an Imperial Stormtrooper
who produced the desired credit chip.
Claudius nodded in approval and took the
credit chip from the Stormtrooper before
passing it on to Htaere. He took an
uneasy look at the gathering crowd
before turning his attention to her
again, "What exactly is it that you wish
to purchase, my dear?"

Htaere blinked,
unmoving for a moment. Wasn't it
obvious? "The...the food...the
owner..." she looked towards the
restaurant "...he has provided all of
this. I have assured him he will be
compensated" she replied. Looking at him
curiously, her brow knit. "Claudius..."
she began, her accent spinning the
tell-tale twist to his name "...some of
these people have not eaten in days."

"Yes," Claudius
said with some contempt, "The Rebel
insurgency makes it quite difficult for
food shipments to arrive. They target
indiscriminately. They are a plague and
a menace and it is the people who suffer
most for it."

He still
could have been speaking a different
language based on her reaction. "These
are your people, Claudius. As the
ruling faction, the Empire has an
obligation to address the needs of its
constituents. These people cannot be
left on the street" she siad
emphatically, her tone hushed and eyes
pleading. The little boy remained behind
her, monitoring the conversation with an
unflinching facade. It was unknown
whether or not he understood Basic, and
Htaere had not pressed him to find out.
In such delicate situations of
addressing the most basic needs, words
would have cheapened the heart-wrenching
moments in watching beings relish at the
mere opportunity to eat.

Claudius sighed and looked over the
crowd. He then steadied himself and
looked to Htaere, "I am doing my best,
my dear. It is why I work such long
hours and strain myself so.
Unfortunately, the local insurgency has
been effective in causing great
suffering to the people. It is their
foolish hope that such an action will
ultimately cause them to join their
efforts."

One by one as the
crowd finished their meals, their eyes
shifted to the silent conversation
between the young woman and the officer.
Their bellies full, the poor took to
observing, waiting for perhaps an
imminent arrest. The weight of their
stares caused Htaere's gaze to pan out
across them, eliciting no response
whatsoever from them. Looking back to
her soon-to-be husband, Htaere lowered
her voice yet another decibel or so. "Is
there no place these people can go to
get off the street for the night?" she
asked, a little uneasy that her exchange
with Claudius had become the undisputed
point of interest among everyone in the
immediate area, beggars and onlookers
alike.

"We have sent up
tent cities," Claudius explained to her,
"But they are afraid concentrating in
one area would make them one big
target."

Htaere's mind
churned, looking across the sea of
expectant faces. "Perhaps they can be
taken to a tent city, and the soldiers
left to guard them for the night" she
proposed. "There are children here as
well, and they require so much more" she
added, throwing a glance down to the
raven-haired five-year-old that hid
behind her, only half of his face
emerging at any given point to eyeball
the officer.

"Positioning
shoulders would only invite attack,"
Claudius continued to explain, "The
Rebels do not stop to consider
collateral damage when planning their
attacks. Our attempts to protect them
would only endanger them further. It is
a vicious truth."

A continuous
series of tugs on Htaere's skirt caused
her to pull her eyes from Claudius,
turning to look down at the youngling.
Dark bottomless pools meeting hers, she
picked him up and settled the child on
her right hip. She opened her mouth to
say something, yet stopped. A moment
later after composing her thoughts she
looked towards Claudius, the frustration
evident across her features not shaded
by the hood of her cloak. "What should I
do with them, then?"

"There is little
you," Claudius paused, "Or anyone can do
for that matter. This is just a
microcosm of a larger population. Only
through enduring and ultimately
prevailing over the insurgency can we
restore peace to the region and then
help these people." He looked over the
situation again before turning his
attention to her again, "The help you'd
have us provide them are the very same
resources the insurgency most wants to
get their hands on ... to attempt to
provide it to these people would only
make them greater targets."

For a handful of
heartbeats, she said nothing, simply
regarding him with reluctant defeat. At
long last, she nodded slowly and without
another thought, she shifted the young
child, handing him over to Claudius
before moving out into the crowd to
address them in as soft a voice as she
could to warn them of the dangers of
clustering, as well as promising to
return to address the problem of their
homelessness.

Claudius
awkwardly held the boy for a moment
before returning him to his former
position on the ground. "There's a good
lad," he said politely. He turned his
attention to Kerrie and flicked his
wrist in the direction of Htaere.

The Major nodded
to the Admiral and proceeded after
Htaere into the crowd. She eyeballed
each hapless passerby as they moved,
wondering if the next one would bring
their doom.

Her back to them,
she drifted about them, offering her
best diplomacy, her efforts met with
blank stares as the poor got to their
feet and trickled away bit by bit. As
she drew upon one individual huddled
beneath a brown hood and robe, she
paused and bent down slightly. "If you
have had your fill, it is safest for you
to return to wherever it is you find
sanctuary until the Empire can protect
you from the insurgents" she encouraged
him quietly, with an award-winning
smile. When no answer came, her smile
faded a bit and she reached out to touch
his shoulder. "Please...you must return
to.." her gentle prodding was cut short
when a calloused burly hand snapped out
from beneath the burlap-like robe,
fingers wrapping tightly around her
wrist with a near mechanical strength.
The hood of the cape lifted slowly until
Htaere found herself staring into
weathered eyes, grey like hers, yet hard
and distant, devoid of warmth or
conviction. For a handful of moments, it
was eerily silent, her breath having
caught in her throat. The worn and
grisled face of the human male stared
her down long and hard before muttering
"The Empire will destroy us all. Your
time is coming as well." Htaere's mouth
fell open in stunned disbelief before
the stranger released his steely grip on
her and brushed her hand away from him.
Still hunched beneath the ragged robe,
he got to his feet cleanly, unlike the
rest of the staggering destitute and
moved off down the street, disappearing
amid the crowd, as sparse as it may have
become. Htaere stared after him,
straightening slowly and rubbing her
wrist idly, not so much out of pain, but
rather as part of the struggle to make
sense of what had just occurred.

Major Kiley
thrust two fingers from her free left
hand into the air instantly. Four
Imperial Stormtroopers detached from
crowd control and immediately followed
after the individual who had just
accosted Htaere, but they could not
track him. Kerrie brandished her E-11
blaster rifle as she glared at those
currently surrounding Htaere. "The
situation here is rapidly
deteriorating," she explained, "I
implore you to consider a haste
departure."

Htaere's eyes
remained on the troopers until they were
no longer visible. At which point she
turned to the major, nodded and moved
past her back towards the restaurant. In
short order the owner was repaid for his
troubles and then some. At last Htaere
returned to where she left Claudius and
the dark haired child, eyes vacillating
between the two. The youngster evened
her out with another lengthy stare
before spinning on his heels and darting
off down the street. Simply astounded,
she watched the child go, surprised when
he cast a singular glance back in her
direction before weaving off between
various shifting bodies.

Claudius looked
at Htaere with mixed emotions. He was
relieved that she was unarmed, but also
gravely concerned by what had
transpired. A cordial smile formed upon
his lips before he addressed her, "Are
you ready to depart?"

She nodded, and
returned the smile, displeased that she
had not been able to do more, yet
grateful that he had let her go along
with as much as she already had. "Yes,
Claudius" she replied obediently.

Claudius nodded
to Kerrie who began clearing a path
through the crowd with the aid of the
Stormtroopers. He then intertwined his
arm with Htaere's and began walking back
through the crowd towards the waiting
shuttle. He smiled and nodded politely
at the citizens of Brentaal as he passed
through the mob. Arriving at the
shuttle's ramp he turned to look at them
one last time. He gave a polite,
dignified wave to the crowd and allowed
Htaere a final moment before boarding
the craft.

A lasting glance
over her shoulder to them, and she
continued up the ramp, mindful of their
eyes on her back. She could only imagine
what they'd thought of her but she
doubted it really mattered. In several
hours, her deeds would be forgotten and
that would most likely be the end of it.
In the privacy of the shuttle, her free
hand lifted to drop the hood of her
cloak down the back of her shoulders,
concealing a sigh quite well and even
managing to look reasonably content. Her
face lifted to that of her older fiancé,
a smile forming on her face. Unlike her
previous facade, the smile was genuine.

The Lamda Shuttle
Kwai lifted off from Cormond on
Brentaal and begin the short jaunt back
towards the Star Destroyer. In the
comfort of the shuttle's cabin, Claudius
turned to Htaere and smiled. "How was
your day?" he asked, genuinely
interested.

"It was very
educational. How was yours?" she
replied. She regarded him a moment
before her smile widened considerably.
"It was very nice of you to pick me up
from work, husband darling" she quipped
in jest.

"It was alright.
Filled with the final preparations
before departure," Claudius explained,
"You will find the situation on Alderaan
much more palpable."

"Oh? I am looking
forward to it" Htaere said truthfully.
"I am sure the girls are equally as
excited?"

"It is all they
talk about," Claudius informed her, "Jelena
is grateful for the opportunity to
reconnect with old friends and Drusilla
is incessantly rambling on about what
wonderful gifts await her from her
grandparents."

"She would be
happy anywhere," Claudius said with a
laugh.

"I envy her
resilience" Htaere confessed. Her hands
folded in her lap as the conversation
fell silent at her lack of continuation.
Her mind drifted back the scene she'd
just left behind, and the several
specific faces that were burned into her
mind.